Remarkable People, Memorable Events and Fascinating Destinations from Around the World.

On August 29 2016 my wife Sharron, and myself boarded the MV Ocean Atlantic in the Northern Icelandic port of Akureyri.

We were so impressed by the magnificent scenery we discovered when we visited Greenland for the first time in 2016 (you can see images here and here) that we were both keen to return and visit other parts of Greenland, a country that affords a never ending procession of spectacular landscapes, and we subsequently spent 26 days on two back to back expeditions aboard the Ocean Atlantic exploring parts of the eastern and southern coastlines of Greenland in Zodiacs and also undertaking some challenging hikes on the days the conditions allowed us to go ashore. Continue reading →

Last November I was travelling from the UK to Australia as our family had decided to spend Christmas with Lisa and James ‘Down Under’ to save Lisa the stress and hassle of organising a trip back to Europe at a time when she could not really afford to disrupt her PhD studies. Continue reading →

I am writing these words in the library in the rear (aft) section of the MV Ocean Nova at the end of 9 days exploring the Scoresby Sund fjord system of Eastern Greenland on a small Expedition cruise with 57 other passengers Continue reading →

I have just spent 8 days on an Expedition cruise in Eastern Greenland with 57 other passengers.

I have written a short article about my impressions when visiting the small settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit (population 381) entitled ‘Gravediggers in Greenland’ which you will find here. Continue reading →

I am writing these comments in Iceland which I think is the 100th sovereign state or independent territory that I have visited since I first left the UK in 1964 on a school visit to what was then West Germany.

I am very conscious that although I have close connections to Beautiful British Colombia in Canada I have never written an article that has given me the opportunities to extol the virtues of both Vancouver as a city and BC as almost certainly the most scenically attractive part of North America. Continue reading →

There are many long distance hiking trails in the Alps and almost certainly the most famous is the Tour Mt Blanc, an 11 Day circuit of Mt Blanc passing through France, Italy and Switzerland. Tens of thousands complete the walk annually and other long distance walks that come readily to mind are the Alpine Pass Route from the Austrian border westwards across Switzerland to Lake Geneva, the Walkers Haute Route from Chamonix and Mt Blanc to Zermatt and the Matterhorn and the Tour of Monte Rosa, another multi day circuit of a major peak. Continue reading →